Reply With QuoteOh and any side by side shots with a 41mm SMP would be very helpful as would wrist shots of it on a 6.75" wrist?
Long shot I know but I may as well ask?
Hi, I have been offered a one year old Breitling Galactic 41 (black dial on Breitling black calf and tang buckle) as a straight swap for my 2014 UK AD Seamaster ceramic.
The Breitling is from a reliable source but lacks papers (and thus I assume the international warranty?)
Two questions for the panel, perhaps three...or four...perhaps five?
1/ Does the lack of papers etc scare you? Can replacements be had for a reasonable price?
2/ Is it (in your opinion) a fair swap based in price, resale etc (not on if you like one over the other necessarily)
3/ Is the Galactic a good watch, comparable to the SMP ceramic regarding build, quality, movement etc?
4/ Does it wear larger than the SMP ceramic, both being 41mm cases but the Galactic (I think) being slightly longer on the lugs?
5/ Do you reckon it would be a scratch magnet?
Oh and any side by side shots with a 41mm SMP would be very helpful as would wrist shots of it on a 6.75" wrist?
Long shot I know but I may as well ask?
The truth is your Omega is around £400 over priced, they can be bought new for under £2k, so even taking in to account the Breitling has no paperwork it will be a fair deal, as the rrp on the Galactic is over £4K.
I doubt very much that you will be able to get replacement docs, and you should take in to account that the Breitling is not the most popular model in case you decide that it's not for you.
I had the previous version and I had the case and bracelet brushed, I think it looked much better and on the strap it should be fine on your wrist.
I don't think the Galactic is one of Breitling's best efforts. Just make sure that you really like it. It might not be the easiest watch to get rid of if you don't.
Thanks for the replies chaps.
Knowing how I am with flipping I do have to at least consider the re-sale part, combined with an honest (with myself) evaluation of if I would be likely to flip it...in other words would it be a keeper?
I will probably pass on this one as the lack of papers does bother me and would I think compound the issues of a difficult re-sale should I decide it's not for me.
I also have concerns about the 49mm lug height top to bottom on my narrow wrist and do prefer a brushed finish to fully polished.
I wish I could see a side by side comparison to a SMP.
A comparison should be fairly easy to sort out, most Beaverbrooks with Breitling will have at least one sitting gathering dust with it's £4k price tag on it. It's a great watch, but £1500 overpriced, imo.Originally Posted by Orange Peel
Good point and probably worth doing before I decide, thanks.
1/ No, but defo hurt resale value. Breitling will only reissue Chronometer papers, NOT the warranty ones. Chronometer papers cost around £50, you'll have to send in the watch
2/ No, IMPO I'd value a Galactic without a bracelet or papers at around 1.2-1.4k
3/ Great watch, no issues with quality there
4/ Not massively. Same size as the older cockpit, which wore very well, a touch bigger than the SMP
5/ not really on a strap
The lack of papers wouldn't bother me. It means both the purchase and resale prices should be lower, which evens out.
I've happily bought and sold watches without papers.
IMO the Galactic is well just uninspiring and certainly without papers not a worthy trade.
Question is this a dealer offer or private? if its a dealer then you could certainly ask for their verification that the watch is "Kosher" on headed paper and also ask them to obtain a COSC certificate.
Last edited by mart broad; 2nd September 2014 at 11:59.
Uninspiring perhaps, but it is a very well put together watch and 300M WR as well, this brushed effort is a lot more low key that some of the current offerings from Breitling.
That is lovely. As for OP I am less worried about lack of papers but the fact that it is on a strap.Uninspiring perhaps, but it is a very well put together watch and 300M WR as well, this brushed effort is a lot more low key that some of the current offerings from Breitling.
That's a Cockpit in your pic though Capt. The Galactic, although same in size, has different styling.....dial, bezel etc......
Cockpit a classier IMPO watch.
I prefer Breitling, lack of papers=gray=Ok with me....
I actually like the Galactic and also the previous Cockpit but if I had to choose one for the same money, it'd be the Omega.
The Cockpit which reminds me of the Blackbird is I M O a much nicer offering than the GalacticUninspiring perhaps, but it is a very well put together watch and 300M WR as well, this brushed effort is a lot more low key that some of the current offerings from Breitling.
I'm not a big Breitling fan but funnily enough the Galactic 41(with blue dial, on bracelet) is one of very few models I'd consider wearing.
Breitling see it as the 'Chronomat for smaller wrists' but I see it as model that is very much in the Breitling mould but a bit cleaner and with more timeless proportions.
Comparing it to the Omega though... neither are in-house movements and I'd rather have the more interesting co-axial escapement. So I'm not sure where the massive price difference comes in when they have the same complications and the Seamaster has the more interesting finish to the case/bracelet and is much more timeless in its design.
Without a bracelet or papers for the Galactic (given it's still within warranty) makes it an even less appealing trade proposition.
I quite liked the Galactic Chrono. Sadly discontinued now.
The price of the watch is not determined by the price of the movement, cost-plus, or how timeless the design is. The Breitling's extremely well constructed Pilot bracelet is quite some way above the Omega's, and the case and dial in particular are more finely finished.
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
I consider the design aesthetic and particulars of the movement as the reasons not to make the trade.
A lot of pieces do go into the pilot bracelet but as they're now both pin and screw systems are all the extra pieces in the Breitling bracelet enough to warrant another £1500 at retail?
I will disagree with the finishing aspect though. I'd say the dials are equally well done, but nothing stands out about the finish of the Galactic case - just one high polish finish on the sides and top with no detailing and plenty of soft edges?
I'd take the far more interesting alternated brushed/polished finish SMP case with twisted lugs and beveled edges everyday of the week.
No, they are not.
Daddel.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
Yes they are. Go and look at the two bracelets side by side. Whether you dislike or hate Breitling, the Pilot bracelet is absolutely bomb-proof, as comfortable as a bracelet can get, and a full step above the jangly Seamaster. Only the lack of on-the-fly microadjustment counts against it. The latest Seamasters have nice dials but they are plain gloss, applied markers but with no special finishing; the old one is plainer still, printed only. Go and look at a Cockpit (or Galactic, but I doubt it makes a difference) dial under a loupe. Again, you may hate them, hate the styling, even the people who wear them, but it's not about that. It's about where the extra expense went.
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
The case design is subjective, obviously. It seems like the finishing of the Seamaster, which is brushed and polished, is more complicated - but a polished finished needs to be applied just as a brushed one does.
Other considerations are that the movement will cost Breitling a lot more per unit than Omega, which just buys its movements from the other side of the pound at a mutually agreeable transfer price that I bet is nowhere near arm's-length.
One additional expense of the Cockpit/Galactic is the bezel assembly, which is quite intricate (some will say unnecessarily so) and in later Chronomats, features a ceramic ball-bearing click mechanism. I don't know if this has made it down (or sideways) to the other ranges.
Again, this isn't about which one you prefer, or like to denigrate. The Breitling is a more complicated watch, and additionally has a higher depth rating, and a thicker crystal coated on both sides. As a result, it's more expensive. If it helps, I don't much like its overstyled looks. Whether or not it's worth it is up to you
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
I don't hate Breitling at all, owned several, and still would like a nos Blackbird from the early noughties, the 40mm one.
It's just that you can't always see what went in to the process of making a dial, "plain gloss'' is the appearance, but is it really less costly to make?
And the Omega case is much more interesting as the simple often shapeless design of the Chronomat series.
Daddel.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
The Seamaster has the same 300 meter depth rating as the Galactic and also superbly done double AR coating on the crystal.
Just saying.
Do you mind me asking where you can buy the SMPC off under 2k? The best price I've seen so far is at Iconic Watches at something like £2150.
Loads to chose from here...........
http://www.chrono24.com/en/search/in...S_MATERIAL_ID=
That's very useful. Thanks for the info.
I thought the Seamaster had a single coating, whereas the PO was double-coated.
The debate (as it's become) is about cost of manufacture, not a £1,500 difference but actually nearer £650 unit cost out the door if you assume a 100% retail mark-up. Clearly Omega's per-unit costs are lower due to the volumes (they make more than double the number of watches and at group level has an economy of scale perhaps 20 times higher, based on a rought estimate of the number of mechanical movement numbers they produce) and access to ETA-based movements from the other side of the pound at tempting transfer prices which being Switzerland, I bet don't have much to do with "arm's-length". The dial is a fairly intensive component and the Galactic's is sunbursted and pinstriped. Oris and Longines manage a gloss, enamel-like dial finish on watches costing in the hundreds (Big Crown, WWWW re-issue). Both Galactic and Seamaster have applied markers.
I assume that the Omega's case finishing costs the same in labour terms as the other's. This forum complains about the typical very high polish of the Breitling yet that's actually quite hard to apply without putting swirls or a ripple effect in, ask anyone who makes jewellery. Also the Omega has a manual He valve, which means extra casework, gaskets and an additional component. I assume that would offfset the difference some. And then there's the bezel... anyway. I'm not in the market for a Galactic, indeed any modern Breitling. I'm not in the market for a Richard Mille either, not matter how much I win at the lottery, but I can see where the money goes.
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
Used to be until the ceramic SMP's then they used double sided AR.
Very well executed it is to!
Just one of the upgrades which also include better bracelet with screw end links (in place of pins) the 2500 'D' coaxial movement and of course the ceramic bezel itself.
Neil,
DON`T DO IT!
SMP ceramic = steak
Breitling = Sausage
I rest my case.....but if you must have a Breitling be sure to get the WW2-style flying jacket to complete the image.
Apologies to the Breitling fans......there's just something about them I don`t like, there's probably no rational explanation for it.
Paul
I tried one on at an AD yesterday (black dial on black calf) and really liked it.
Just can't see me wearing a fully polished watch though (excepting smaller dress watches).
It wore smaller than I feared on my 6.75" wrist, perhaps due to the bezel being the same material as the case and also the dial was noticeably smaller than my SMP ceramic which is also 41mm.
As I stated above I have been offered a straight swap for one (2013 black dial on black calf) for my SMPc but again...it's the fully polished thing that stops me.
Do you guys think it's too blingy on a strap?
As my only higher end watch it would have to be suitable for most (other than a beater) occasions.
Can the bezel be brushed? Would that be un advisable or a bad financial move?
Paul, thanks as usual for your unbiased, calm and subtle advice
I happily wear either of my two Breitlings with suits and don't feel it's a problem. One is a black dial Avenger Skyland on OEM rubber (reasonably stealthy), the other is a yellow dial Seawolf II on OEM steel (not even remotely stealthy!).
What does concern me slightly is the idea of buying a Galactic with no papers, since you admit to being a bit of a flipper. My first foray into Breitling ownership was with a lovely Superocean Steelfish X-Plus... when I came to sell it on (on SC) I had a real problem - no one wanted to buy it because it didn't have papers. Although I was eventually successful in trading it, I vowed to myself then that I'd never buy another high(ish)-end watch without box and papers..
Just my thoughts.
Simon
Last edited by mycroft; 24th September 2014 at 10:40.
Then buy what you like, not what a load of old men on the internet tell you to buy, who look like this:
;)
It's not blingy, it doesn't have any diamonds on it and it's not made of solid gold. But personally, if I preferred a brushed watch, I've just get a brushed watch rather than one I quite liked except for the finish (which is important after all).
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
I like both brands offerings. I'm liking the vintage look at the moment so I'm not particularly enamoured with either. That said I think you want to know which would sell easier when you want to flip it. In my opinion the bezel numerals on the galactic are total marmite and might put off Buyers. The SMP however is an SMP, everybody knows them because most people have owned or own them and there is always a market for them at the right price. I like the date wheel on the Breitling but over all it looks like scratch magnet.
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